SKU: HL.286983

UPC: 888680967628.

My Hazara People is a setting of two texts, the title work by Shukria Rezaei, a young Afghan poet, and Lalai, lalai, babe bacha shikar rafta (Baby's father went hunting), a traditional Hazari lullaby. Although their characters are entirely different, the two poems share much in common. The importance of family and home, and beyond that connection with country and heritage are at the centre of both. Shukria's poem isa direct expression of love and despair for Afghanistan with intimate moments of terror - a cup falling from her mother's hand during an explosion, her aunt fainting - set against the suffering of Hazaras across the world. In the context of this devastating contemporary experience Lalai lalai is nostalgic and poignant - open gates, straw latches, a sleeping child. The tune of the lullaby is heard in two highly contrasted versions. For Shukria's words it is dark and restrained, a repeating rhythm illustrating the Hazara's seemingly never-ending pain, and for Lalai lalai it is bright and joyful with sounds of the hunt, acrackling fire and a gentle chorus as the child is rocked. A further thread runs through the music - a quotation of my favourite traditional Afghan Herati lullaby Allah Hu (God is great), reflecting Shukria's reference to her people's religious heritage. I have adapted the text at the end of Lalai Lalai to bring it into the Shukria's world, a reminder that each innocent person caught up in conflict is a mother, a brother, a sister, a father, a daughter .... kids like us. The work exists in two versions, for voice and piano and voice and strings. The former was premiered by Charlotte Tetley (mezzo-soprano) and Graeme Bailey (piano) on 20 June 2018 at Somerville College, Oxford as part of a panel discussion on women refugees. The work was commissioned by the Orchestra of St. Johns. I am indebted to Shukria for allowing to set her poem and to Cayenna Ponchione for inviting me to be part of this wonderful collaboration. - Sadie Harrison.

SKU: HL.49045537

ISBN 9781495095290. UPC: 888680688394. 9.5x12.0x0.435 inches.

Form and Postlude is a piece in one continuous movement but with a distinct postlude which ends the work. I play throughout with the idea of pacing on many levels: the largest level is the idea of proportion of sections to one another, then harmonic rhythm (in the broad sense), then harmonic rhythm on a more local level, and of course then on the surface of the music there is instrumental texture and how fast the notes go by. Along with this sense of play in terms of the pacing and motion is the idea of color. I love this ensemble, and its palette of color has been part of my DNA, as it were, for many years, because Ravel's wonderful work Introduction et Allegro is such a cornerstone in the harpist's repertoire. While composing, I found myself feeling that I was entering into this colorful world that is possible with this combination of instruments, almost as if it were possible to step into a painter's palette in a real and visceral way, physically interacting with all the different colors. The title Form and Postlude nods to Ravel's Introduction et Allegro, although my piece lives in its own very distinct space apart from Ravel. -Hannah Lash.